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  • Wellness

Recovery Requires Multi­Faceted Approach

  • January 22, 2015
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recovery from drug abuseWe live in a society that relies on instant gratification. We like our movies and our

television shows to come to a happy conclusion within a half an hour or an hour’s time.

We like to over­indulge in sweet foods, despite the obvious health issues that come along

with that. And we go to fairs to ride a roller coaster – simulating a thrill we expect is

eluding us in other facets of our lives.

Paradoxically, we like instant gratification so much that many people turn to drugs and

alcohol to magically erase pain in their lives. For a few dollars and a small investment in

time, pain – an old psychological wound or current problem requiring action – can

instantly vanish with the right recreational drug or drink.

The paradox is that we also tend to think there is an instant way out of addiction. Turning

to drugs and drink comes with lifelong dangers. An addiction, it is widely acknowledged, is

a lifelong problem. The difficulty of remaining clean and sober certainly lessens with time,

but the vigilance over one’s tendency to relapse never goes away. So, why is it that many

people believe that a 30 day stay in an addiction treatment center is a quick and easy

road to recovery?

Certainly, an addict seeking one sliver of hope that they can use their substance of choice

– just once or just a taste – every once in a while and remain safe is a mistake all too

many people make.

But the price paid for a relapse is medically remarkable. Alcoholics, for example, can be

on the wagon for decades and then pick up a drink in a moment of relapse. Relatives,

friends and the the alcoholics, as well, are then surprised by the point that within two or

three days, the addiction is back upon them full force – as if they had never even quit at

all.

It may take 15 or 20 years before someone realizes and addiction requires complete

sobriety. But it does not take 15 or 20 years to rebuild the addiction. Very quickly, addicts

return to the advanced stage of addiction that they were in when the first began recovery.

This tells us a few things. First: There is no complete “cure” and the word “cure” is a hot

potato among addicts, who prefer the word “recovery,” to describe a clean and sober

lifestyle. While a “recovery” can be pretty solid, a “cure,” it is universally acknowledged,

does not exist.

Second, therapists, addiction counselors of every stripe, doctors and social workers have

reason to tell addicts that treatment is not a short­term deal. It is not 28 days of sobriety

and a week of therapy. It is much more than that.

Ironically, the first jolt of sobriety tends to come with a a grand feeling of accomplishment.

This is a false summit. It feels great, but every day is a test for an addict and feeling great

often fools addicts in to believing they are strong enough to indulge again.

This same problem hits people trying to lose weight. The most obvious reward for a dieter

is to go off the diet and sit down to have a bowl of ice cream. But this is a very unfortunate

choice of reward, because it soon leads to a total breakdown of diet discipline.

There is also a widely known phenomenon known as being a “dry drunk,” which describes

someone with addiction issues who becomes sober, but does not address the underlying

issues that contributed to their addiction. (The term comes from alcoholism, but it can be

easily applied to other addictions.)

By not addressing problems that helped create the addiction, the risk of relapse is far

greater. Many people also pride themselves in remaining clean and sober, but simply

switch addiction to another substance. Not drinking for a year is terrific, but not so terrific

if you find yourself suddenly addicted to pills.

Dry drunks also tend to remain angry, depressed, moody and unpredictable as they were

when they were drinking (or using drugs) but now their behavior is all the more erratic and

out of control. From a behavioral point of view, dry drunks are a train wreck. They make

the same self­destructive decisions as they always did. They are abusive to loved ones,

who find that their family member, although clean and sober, now seem to be cursed with

a new form of tyrannical madness.

Some addicts are told, “We liked you better as a drunk,” or “as an addict.” This tells you

the recovery requires a full­court press. According to this Therapists’ guide from Michael’s

House, “Addiction is an unusual specialty with a unique set of demands in that many

addicted people are just not encouraged to seek medical services.”

“The Therapist’s Guide To Addiction Medicine” espouses a multi­disciplinary approach to

addiction recovery.

In short, addictions are frequently about cycles – a certain trigger – depression, family

issues, low self esteem, physical pain, etc – pushes an addict into seeking and instant

solution to their problem. Eventually, the addiction itself is the central problem in that

person’s life. That person now has all the original problems plus a lifelong struggle with

addiction to face. Tackling this at just a single point of success is generally not enough.

Treatment has to be all­encompassing or holistic in order to have the maximum chance of

success.

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Carolyn Scott-Hamilton

The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, media spokesperson, sought after speaker, consultant and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle and travel as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!

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Meet The Healthy Voyager
Carolyn Scott, The Healthy VoyagerHi! I'm Carolyn Scott-Hamilton. I'm a Latina holistic nutritionist, vegan chef, cookbook author, speaker, show host, consultant and healthy travel and lifestyle expert. From video web series and travel articles, to product reviews and healthy, vegan and gluten free recipes, you'll find lots of info for a happier, healthier and greener lifestyle! After all, Life is a voyage, live it well!
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